Procedure of coking pitch and coal in a by-product coke oven battery



-'1=RoDUcT com: ovEN BATTERY w. 'rlDDY PROCEDURE O F COKIN@ FITCH ANDCOAL IN A BY Dec. 26, 1933.

1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30,

EMR

Dec. 26, V1933.

PROCEDURE OF COKING PITCH AND` COAL IN A BY-PRODUCT COKE OVEN BATTERYv 2Sheets-Sheet 2 lFiled Oct. 50. 1950 Il.. l

R .mM/w Nn R E o V T mm /WM H7 W Y B Patented Dec. 26, 1933 UNITED.STATES PROCEDURE OF COKlNG PITCH AND COALl IN A BY-PRODUCT COKE OVENBATTERY William Tiddy, Scarsdale,

Semet-Solvay Engineering a corporation of New York York, N. Y.,

N. Y., assigner to Corporation, New

Application October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,178

3 Claims.

This invention relates to coking of pitch, and more particularly to thedistillation of the tar produced at a coke oven plant with production ofpitch and distillate oils and the coking of the 5 pitch thus produced inone or more of the coking chambers of the coke oven battery., Thisinvention is in the nature of an improvement on the invention disclosedin the pending application of Stuart Parmelee Miller, Serial No.413,253, filed.

December 11,1929. f

One object of this invention is to provide a process for simultaneouslycoking coal and pitch in the coking chambers of a coke oven battery, thecoalbeing coked in some of the chambers,

pitch in othersthe removed therefrom, the contact with hot gases fromthe coking chambers, and the resultant pitch coked in some of the cokingchambers. Other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdetailed description.

The process of this invention can be carried out in ordinary coke ovenbatteries such as the horizontal flue type batteries, vertical flue typebatteries, or batteries involving alternate heating walls and cokingchambers, the heating walls having no defined flue structure, with butslight valterations and the addition of a small amount of equipment tosuch batteries. This invention includes such modified coke ovenbatteries. I have discovered that lining the interior of one` or morecoking chambers of a coke oven battery with a high temperatureheatresisting metal, adapts such coke oven batteries to the efficient cokingof pitch.

At the temperatures prevailing in the coking tar distilled to pitch bychambers during coking, pitch is fluid and seeps through the refractorymaterial of the chambers into the ues and regenerators soon interfering40 with and preventing satisfactory operation of the battery. Cokingchambers constructed in accordance with this Iinvention are not subjectto the seepage and leakage of pitch through the refractory brickworkwhich occurs when coking pitch in the usual refractory brickworkstructures.

The coking chambers may inlets for a gas, chemically inert with respectto the pitch, such as nitrogen or other inert gas, preferably steam,4which is introduced into the 5.0 chamber during the coking and preventsthe fo and boiling over characteristics encountered in the coking ofpitch.

Inapplying this -invention to existing coke oven -batteries or in thebuilding of new batteries, pref'- erably, but not necessarily, only aportion of the distillate gases collected, .tar

be equipped with v coking chambers are provided with a lining of hightemperature heat resisting metal and inlets for theintroduction of inertgas. The unllned coking chambers of such batteries may be used to cokecoal, tar being recovered from the distillation gases and distilled atthe plant in a tar still, such as disclosed in the .aforementionedpending application, the resulting pitch being charged into the linedcoking chambers and the distillation products from the pitch 'admixed 65with those from the coal and utilized for the dis'- tillation of the tarin the still. A

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andshowing, for purposes of exemplication, a preferred form of thisinvention but without limiting the claimed inven tion to suchillustrative instances- Fig. l is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan viewof a coke oven battery equipped to carry Aout this invention; 75

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partlyin section, showing the tarstill with the pitch feed to 'the three ovens atone end of the coke ovenbattery;

Fig. 3 is a section through the tar still in the 80 plane indicated bythe line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through a coking chamberembodying this invention, the regenerators beneath the coking chambers,which are of usual design, and per se form no part of S5 this inventionbeing omitted for the sake of clearness.

, In the preferred embodiment illustrated 'in the drawings, theinvention is shown incorporated in a coke oven battery of the horizontaliiue type and the present description will be confined to the presentillustrated embodiment of the invention in such oven battery. 'It willbe noted, however, that the novel features and improvements aresusceptible to other applications, such, for example, as vertical fluecoke oven batteries or coke ovenV batteries involving alternate cokingchambers and heating walls which have no well defined ues. Hence, thescope of this invention is not confined to the embodiment hereloo indescribed. l

The coking chambers vof the coke oven battery 5 connect in the usual waywith the collector main 6 through uptake pipes 7'.' The oven battery asshown in Fig. 2 involves alternate coking 105 chambers 15 and heatingwalls 16, the heating walls in the embodiment of the invention shown inFig. 2 being constituted of horizontal zigzag series-,connectedcombustion ues. Regenerators, not shown in thedrawings, extend cross-Wise of the battery beneath the coking chambers and supply the ues withpreheated air. Fuel gas is introduced directly into the I lues throughthe usual burners, burning therein, the products of combustion leavingthe llues through the outllow regenerators. This operation, ascustomary, is periodically reversed, the inow regenerators becomingoutflow regenerators and serving to extract heat from the products ofcombustion, and the outflow regenerators becoming in ow regenerators andimparting the heat retained by the checker-brick to the air fedtherethrough into the ues.

Means is provided for spraying the gases in the uptake pipes and in thecollector main with ammonia liquor from the line 8. The collector main 6may connect with about 20 ovens in one section of a battery of, forexample, ovens. The gases pass from the collector main 6 through thecross-over main 9 to condensers 10. In the condensers 10, the gases aresprayed with ammonia liquor. The tarry oils and ammonia liquor are drawnoi from -the condensers to one or more decanters 1l; From the decanters,tarry oils are collected in storage tanks 12 and ammonia liquor isseparately collected in ammonia liquor storage tanks 1 2. An exhauster13 is provided for drawing the gases through the system.

The three coking chambers 15 (Fig. 2), hereinafter more fully described,located at the end of the coke oven battery adjacent the pinion wall 17,are connectedthrough the usual uptake pipes 7 with the collector main 6.Tar from the gases,coming off from the coking chambers 15 is preferablydistilled with the `tar from the coal distillation gases coming from theother ovens.

The -tar and ammonia-liquor collected in main 6 are drawn oi through thecollector main at the end of the oven adjacent to the pinion wall intothe decanter 18. The heavy tar and ammonia liquor are separately drawnoi from the vdecanter .18 and separately passed to storage tanks 19 and20 respectively.

Either the tarry oils from the tanks 12 or the heavier tar in the tanks19, or a blend of both of these tars or tar otherwise derived may bedistilled in still 25. Any tar produced in connection with the operationof a gas producer or water gas machine employed for making gas forheating .the ovens, may be added to the tar to be distilled in thestill.

The tar still is indicated Iat 25. It connects through the hot gasheader 26 with uptake pipes 27 on a number of the coking chambers. By aproper manipulation of the valves on the uptake pipes 27 and the uptakepipes 7 on these coking chambers, the hot gases from the chambers may bediverted either to theV collector main 6 ori through the hot gas header26 into the still 25.

A roll 28 is rotatably mounted in the still 25. This roll is adapted tobe driven for example, 900 to 1200 r. p. m., by the motor 29. Rapidrotation of this roll throws a fine intense spray of tar into the hotgases thereby exposing a large surface of the tar to the distillingeffect of the hot gases, whereby distillation is rapidly and eicientlyeiected without any.con siderable decomposition of the tar. The neintense spray of tar simultaneously scrubs the gases, removing entrainedimpurities present in the gases. The hot gases leave the still 25enriched in oil vap'ors and substantially free from entrained impuritiesthrough the scrubber 25. Preferably, the tar to be distilled is suppliedto this scrubber through the line 30. Battling means at a high speed,-

3l and 32 are provided in the scrubber tower 25 to remove entrainedparticles of tar spray from the gases. The tar sprayed into-the gasespassing up through the scrubber 25' is partially distilled and thesemi-pitch produced passes through the line 33 into the end of the tarstill at which the hot gases enter. In the still 25, the semipitch isdistilled to a pitch of high melting point. The pitch is drawn 01T fromthe still through the coke trap 34 and the levelling arm 35, into thepitch bay 44. The pitch is advantageously distilled to a high meltingpoint, for example, 400 F. or higher.

The hot gases and vapors from the scrubber 25 pass through the main 36to a heat interchanger 37 in which they are brought into indirect heatinterchange relation with the tar to be distilled. The tar is thuspreheated and heat economy is velected. Heavy oils are separated fromthe gases and collected in the storage tank 38. The gases then passthrough a further condenser which may be a direct condenser 39 in whichthe gases are sprayed with water or ammonia liquor from the line 40.This condenser drains into the decanter 4l and separate means areprovided at 1 42 and 43 for receiving the ammonia liquor and lighteroils from the decanter 41.

The pitch may be supplied directly from the tar still 25 to the cokingchambers l15 or it may be rst cooled and solidified and supplied to theovens in solid form, or according to the pre ferred embodiment shown inthe drawings, it is first collected in the pitch bay 44 Where it ismaintained in a hot iluid condition by heavy insulation or by indirectcontact with hot ue gases. Bay44 may serve as an accumulator for thepitch which is to be supplied to theA ovens. While a portion of thepitch charge is being coked, suicient pitch for the next chargeaccumulates in the bay 44.

In accordance with this invention, the interior Walls of each of thecoking chambers 15 are formed with a lining of high temperature heatresisting metal, such, for example, as an alloy containing nickel. Oneexample of a suitable alloy is the alloy known commercially as Fahritewhich contains 40% nickel and 20% chromium and will withstandtemperatures of 2000 F. This lining is indicated by the referencenumerals 5l in Figs. 2 and 4. If desired, the refractory 1 brickwork ofthe doors extending within the coking chambers may also be lined withAhigh temperature heat resisting metal as indicatedat 52. Although threecoking chambers 15 are shown equipped for coking pitch and the remaining1 ovens l5 (Fig. 1) are not provided with a high temperature heatresisting metal lining and are adapted to be used for coking coal, itwill be understood that the number of coking chambers equipped with thisinvention may be modied in l accordance with operating conditions at thecoke oven battery. A line 45 leads from the pitch bay 44 and is arrangedto discharge pitch into any desired coking chamber 15. Suitable valvemeans indicated at 47 is provided for controlling the feed of pitchthrough the line 45 into the coking chambers. Pipe 45 communicates withpipes 54 extending above the battery longitudinally of the cokingchambers. Each pipe 54 is provided with a, plurality of n ilet pipes 55which extend through 145 each of the pipes 54. Valve controlled pipes 57150 extend through the doors of the collecting chamber. Preferably, thepipes 57 are provided with flexible connections to a main communicatingwith the source of inert gas. The flexible connections of pipes 57permit movement of the doors.

As well lknown, pitch when subjected to heat to form coke starts to boiland foam, accompanied by a sharp rise in level of the pitch. nnallyreaching a maximumlevel, at which point the level recedes andcontinuesto do so until the level in some cases is below the originallevel of the melted pitch. I have found that the foaming and boilingover tendencies of the pitch during coking in a coke oven' battery canbe retarded and eliminated to an extent permitting eillcient use of thecapacity of the coking chamber by introducing an inert gas,-such asnitrogen or preferably steam. during the coking of the pitch. The inertgas is introduced into the coking chamber 15 during *he coking of thepitch through the pipes 56, 53. 54, 55 and 57, the inert gas in passingthrough pipes 54 and 55 removing residual pitch therein and thuspreventing clogging oi.' these pipes, at the sametime conserving thepitch since it passes with the inert gas into the coking chambers.Anyinertgasmaybeused, the introduction thereof into the top of thechamber acting mechanically to prevent foaming ofthe pitch charge. Steamis particularly suitable for this purpose as it does not retard thecoking operation but assists same since it aids in driving oft thevolatiles and assists in the passage of the volatiles out of the cokingchamber, prevents foaming and involves no diillculties in the handlingof the mixture of volatiles and After the coking chambers have beencharged and the coking operation is completed, the charge of coke fromthe ovens is removed in' any suitable manner. The pusher which operateson tracks (not shown) and which is employed for pushing the cokeresulting from the distillation of coal in the balance of the ovens ofthe battery, may be employed for pushing the coke from the cokingchamber 15.- The coke car which operates on tracksat the opposite sideof the battery may be employed for receiving the coke as it is pushedfrom the chambers 15. The coke quenching equipment employed for coolingthe coke produced from the coal may be employed for cooling the pitchcoke. In this way the cost of the original equipment is kept at aminimum by employing the same means for handling the coke motcciced fromcoal and the coke produced from pi The invention as hereinabovedisclosed is embodied in a particular form of construction but it may bevariously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of operating a coke oven battery, involving cokingchambers and heating walls therefor arranged side by side in a row. theheating walls being constituted of combustion ilues, the walls of someof the coking chambers being lined with a high temperature heatresistant metal while the remaining coking chambers are unlined and arecomposed of refractory brickwork, which comprisesI coking coal in theunlined coking chambers, coking pitch in the lined coking chambers toform pitch coke, withdrawing the hot gases resulting from the coking ofthe coal and the pitch, admixing these hot gases, removing tar from theadmixed hot gases,

distilling the tar removed from said admixed hot gases by contacting thetar with hot gases from the coking chambers so as to form a pitchresidue. and coking the pitch residue in the lined coking chambers toproduce pitch coke.

2.' The method of operating a coke oven battery involving cokingchambers and heating walls therefor, arranged side by side in a row inalternate relation, the heating walls being constituted of combustionflues, the walls of some of the coking chambers being lined with a hightemperature heat-resistant metal while the walls of the remaining cokingchambers are unlined and are composed of refractory brickwork whichcomprises: (1) coking coal in the unlinedcoking chambers; (2) cokingpitch obtained by step (5) hereinafter recited, in the lined cokingchambers simultaneously with the coking of the coal; (3) collecting thedistillate gases from the coking of the pitch and the distillate gasesfrom the coking of the coal and admixing said gases: (4) removing tarfrom the distillate gases; and (5) distilling the tar 'removed from thedistillation gases so as to form distillate oils and a pitch residue bycontacting the tar with said admixed gases.

3. The method ofv operating a coke oven battery involving cokingchambers and heating walls therefor, arranged side by side in a row inalternate relation, the heating walls being constituted of combustionilues, the walls of some of the coking chambers being lined with a hightemperature heat-resistant metal while the walls 'of the remaining.coking chambers are unlined and are composed of refractory brickwork,which comprises: (l) coking coal in the unlined coking chambers; (2)coking pitch obtained by step (5) hereinafter recited, in the linedcoking chambers simultaneously with the coking of the coal; (3)collecting the distillate gases from the coking of the pitch and thedistillate gases from the coking ,of the coal and admixing said gases;(4) removling tar from the distillate gases; (5) distilling the tarremoved from the distillation gases so as to form distillate oils and apitch residue by contacting the tar with said admixed gases; and (8)introducing inert gas into the lined coking chambers during the.coki ngof the pitch to prevent foaming and boiling over of said pitch.

